Information about the BSDB

The aims of the BSDB are:

1. To advance research and teaching in those aspects of animal and plant biology that are connected with developmental processes
2. To further public education
3. To bring together scientists interested in developmental biology by holding high quality scientific meetings

In furthering these aims, the Society also undertakes the following:

• Represents developmental biology to external organisations in the UK and Europe
• Offers limited travel grants to members
• Negotiates reduced subscriptions to key developmental biology journals for members

The full BSDB Constitution can be viewed here.

BSDB History & Newsletters

• The BSDB’s history started with the foundation of “The (London) Embryologists’ Club” in 1948. To learn more, download the article “A short history of the BSDB“ by Jonathan Slack or read the blog post by Andreas Prokop about the BSDB Archive.
• The BSDB Newsletter is published twice a year and informs about meetings, the financial status, a summary of news items of the term and any other matters arising. All Newsletters back to issue No. 1 from 1979 can be downloaded from the BSDB Archive.

Funding

• The BSDB is supported by membership subscriptions, and by a generous grant from The Company of Biologists, who publish Development, Journal of Cell Science, Journal of Experimental Biology and Biology Open (BiO), an Open Access journal that aims to facilitate rapid peer review for accessible research.

Promote the BSDB & Developmental Biology!

• Students and postdocs are often not aware of the conference/travel grants that the BSDB has on offer for them. To spread the news, a simple start can be made by putting up this poster at your institute or inserting this PowerPoint slide into your lecture file. Also, the BSDB has started an initiative together with The Company of Biologists to advocate Developmental Biology research – please, support us in this effort (more information)[/box]

BSDB membership

Membership benefits

• Being a member of the BSDB entitles you to a number of conference/travel grants.
• Members enjoy significantly reduced registration fees on all BSDB conferences.
• The Company of Biologists offers special personal subscription rates to members of the BSDB on all their journals.

How to join the BSDB

• • The BSDB welcomes new members with a link to the UK that have an interest in Developmental Biology (professional or amateur, research or teaching).
  • Membership costs are £45/year for an ordinary member or £20/year for undergraduate or postgraduate students (only as long as you have student status and for maximally 4 years), and payment is usually by a standing order.
  • To apply please visit https://hg3.co.uk/bsdb/membersregistration.aspx and follow the instructions provided.

Note, two current BSDB members must endorse your application and you will need to provide their email addresses for confirmation.

• As soon as your membership has been processed, you will become eligible for member benefits.

For current members

• You can manage your membership, including changing your address and status by following the link: https://hg3.co.uk/bsdb/members.aspx [/box]

Committee members

The BSDB is run by a committee elected by its members.

Officers

• Chair – Paul Martin (Bristol; 2019-24)
  • responsible for the overall running of the BSDB
  • chair@bsdb.org
  • interests: inflammation in tissue repair and cancer, using Drosophila, zebrafish and mouse
• Secretary – Tristan Rodriguez (London; 2015-26; officer since 2021) –
  • deals with the membership list and the election of new committee members
  • secretary@bsdb.org
  • interests: cell fate & survival in early mouse & ES cells
• Meetings Officer –  Shankar Srinivas (Univ. of Oxford; 2018-2028; officer since 2023)
  • arranges meetings and venues, and liaises with the scientific meeting organisers
  • meetings@bsdb.org
  • interests: Patterning and morphogenesis of the early mammalian embryo, mouse
• Treasurer – Cynthia Andoniadou (Kings College London; 2019-24)
  • handles the membership subscriptions and awards travel grants
  • treasurer@bsdb.org
  • interest: pituitary stem cells in mouse
• Communications Officer – Raman Das (Univ. of Manchester; 2019-2028; officer since 2023)
  • assembles the Newsletter, maintains the BSDB site including news posts
  • comms@bsdb.org
  • interests: cellular mechanisms underlying neuronal differentiation, chick
• Awards Officer – Jens Januschke (Univ. of Dundee; 2018-2023)
• arranges medal awards and oversees medal nominations and selection
• awards@bsdb.org
• interests: dynamics of cell polarisation, Drosophila

• Graduate Representative – Tamina Lebek (PhD at The Univ. of Edinburgh)
  • a contact for BSDB students discussing student issues/views with the BSDB committee
  • running the BSDB graduate student Facebook page
  • students@bsdb.org
  • Interested in the interplay between cell autonomous effects and collective behaviour during mouse development
• Postdoc Representative –  Anahi Binagui-Casas (Post-Doc at the Univ. of Edinburgh)
  • a contact for BSDB postdoctoral researchers discussing issues/views with the BSDB committee
  • running the BSDB graduate student Facebook page
  • postdocs@bsdb.org
  • interest: mesoderm specification and regionalisation in mouse embryos and ES cells

Other committee members

• Veronique Azuara (Imperial College London; 2023-28) – balance between cell potency and specification in ES cells and mouse embryos
• David Turner (Liverpool; 2023-28) – mechanisms of axial patterning and morphogenesis, mouse gastruloids
• Vicki Metzis (Imperial College London; 2023-2028) – molecular events that impose regional identity in the body plan, mouse
• Abigail Tucker (London; 2022-2027) – development of the head, with particular focus on structures that form in association with the jaw, using a number of model and non-model organisms, including mouse, chick, opossum, guinea pig, shrew, bearded dragon, snake, gecko and chameleon
• Kyra Campbell (Sheffield; 2021-2026) – identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying epithelial cell plasticity during development and disease using the Drosophila midgut
• Helen Weavers (Bristol; 2021-2026) – uses Drosophila and human genetic epidemiology to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive stress resistance during tissue development, inflammation and wound repair
• Anestis Tsakiridis (Sheffield 2021-2026) –  how human embryonic cells adopt different fates as they transit from pluripotency to lineage commitment
• Jeremy Green (London; 2021-2026) – morphogen action, self-organising Reaction-Diffusion Turing patterning and physical morphogenesis in mouse and amphibian development
• Tom Bennett (Leeds; 2019-2024) – coordination of growth and development in plants

Committee nominations

• Members are encouraged to make nominations for candidates for the committee at any time. Nominations should be seconded and sent directly to the Secretary (secretary@bsdb.org). Elections occur at the Annual General Meeting and terms are generally for five years. If the committee member subsequently becomes appointed as an officer, then the five year term is reset from that point.

Past committee members (from 2015)

(for a complete list of BSDB chairs & officers since 1948 see here)

• Lara Busby (Cambridge; 2021-23) – Graduate Representative. Intrinsic and extrinsic timers of chick development
• Benjamin Steventon (Cambridge; 2017-23; Communications Officer 2018-23)
• Sally Lowell (Edinburgh; 2013-18; Meetings Officer 2018-23)
• Clare Baker (Cambridge; 2017-22) – neurogenic placodes and the neural crest in a range of vertebrates.
• Tanya Whitfield (Univ. Sheffield; 2018-2023) – development and function of the inner ear, zebrafish
• Megan Davey (Edinburgh; committee since 2014; Secretary 2018-23)
• Alistair McGregor (Oxford; 2015-20) –  evolution of animal development & morphology in arthropods incl. Drosophila
• Berenika Plusa (Manchester; 2015-20) – early mammalian embryogenesis in mouse
• Rita Sousa-Nunes (London; 2015-22) – neurogenesis and cancer in Drosophila & mammalian cells
• Andy Oates (Lausanne; 2014-19) – vertebrate segmentation in zebrafish
• Charlotte Sophie Louise Bailey (Copenhagen; 2018-21) – Postdoc Representative
• Michelle Ware (Cambridge; 2015-18) – Postdoc Representative
• Alexandra Ashcroft (Cambridge; 2015-18) – Graduate Representative
• Josh Brickman (Edinburgh/Copenhagen; 2013-18; Meetings officer) – early embryonic lineage specification in ES cells
• Andreas Prokop (Manchester; 2013-18; Communications officer) – axon growth & maintenance in Drosophila
• Kim Dale (Dundee; 2013-18; BSDB secretary) – vertebrate segmentation in chick and mouse
• Anna Philpott (Cambridge; 2012-17) – neurogenesis in mouse & Xenopus
• Jo Begbie (Oxford; 2012-17) – neurogenesis in chick & mouse
• Henry Roehl (Sheffield; 2012-17) – musculoskeletal development in zebrafish
• Magdalena Stasiulewicz (Dundee; 2013-2015) – Graduate Representative
• Malcolm Logan (Communications officer until 2014; London; 2008-2015) – limb development in chick & mouse
• Jenny Nichols (Cambridge; 2010-2015) – embryonic pluripotency in ES cells
• Lynda Erksine (Aberdeen; 2010-2015) – axon guidance in mouse
• Andrew Chalmers (Bath; 2010-2015) – epithelial cancers in cell culture models